Overdorf Sponsors Bill to Toughen Human Trafficking Penalties

Posted on January 15, 2019

The first-term representative says House Bill 219’s mandatory minimum sentence for traffickers will help reduce trafficking and protect its victims.

State Representative Toby Overdorf has filed legislation that will toughen penalties for human trafficking in Florida. House Bill 219 would require a minimum term of incarceration for solicitation of prostitution offenses involving victims of human trafficking. Florida has the third highest number of human trafficking cases in the country, trailing only California and New York.

“The high number of human trafficking cases in Florida is simply unacceptable,” said Overdorf. “That’s why I’m proud to sponsor this legislation. Every human being is made in the image of God, and this bill puts would-be traffickers on notice that Florida will not stand for anyone being treated as anything less than that. This bill is an important step toward reducing incidences of human trafficking and protecting its victims. Last week, we marked Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Legislature to make sure we do all we can to fight this evil in our state.”